Four Christmases: Let All Your Memories Hold You Close
by HandsThatHeal
Summary: In this AU Christmas story, Callie Torres fondly thinks back on the four Christmases she has spent with the love of her life, Arizona Robbins. Written as a Secret Santa Fic for lovestryam on LiveJournal.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Four Christmases: Let All Your Memories Hold You Close

**Author:** HandsThatHeal

**Pairing:** Callie/Arizona

**Rating:** M/NC-17

**Summary:** In this AU Christmas story, Callie Torres fondly thinks back on the four Christmases she has spent with the love of her life, Arizona Robbins. Written as a Secret Santa Fic for **lovestryam **on LiveJournal.

**Disclaimer:** All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

**AN:** In this story, italics denote past Christmas Seasons.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter One<em>**

* * *

><p>With her toes buried deep in the sand, Callie Torres sighed as a warm breeze off the Caribbean Ocean whipped brunette hair around her face, eyes covered by oversized sunglasses intently taking in the sight in front of her. Chuckling softly as she watched a stunning blonde, whom she had the absolute honor and pleasure of calling her wife, jumping the small waves at the edge of the shore, Callie couldn't help the profound feelings of nostalgia that filled her body and soul. As she counted back, realizing she and Arizona had now spent four Christmases together, her thoughts immediately drifted to a Christmas Season not so very long ago. . .<p>

* * *

><p><em>With the sound of island calypso music floating through the trade wind cooled air, a stunning brunette stood behind a cabana bar, a megawatt smile covering her face as she topped a fruity pink drink with a slice of pineapple and a bright green umbrella straw. With a nod of her head, adorned with a floppy red Santa hat, and a thank you when her customer handed her a ten dollar tip, she then leaned her elbows against the wooden bar top, her chocolate brown gaze staring off at the beautiful white sand beach that fringed the crystalline turquoise Caribbean waters.<em>

_"I swear to God, Timothy! If you don't shut the hell up, I'm totally going to beat the crap out of you."_

_"Bring it on!"_

_Pulled from her silent reverie by an argument she'd heard at the bar a million times before, the brunette turned to look toward the culprits; a young man with sandy blonde hair now sat alongside an admittedly gorgeous blonde haired, blue eyed young woman who clearly looked pissed off at the world._

_"Come on, Arizona," the man the brunette assumed to be Timothy stated. "Why the Hell do you have to be such a bitch? Can't you just enjoy this vacation while it lasts?"_

_Arizona only rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest with a huff, her brooding cerulean eyes, not meeting Timothy's but, instead, glancing over the drink menu of the day._

_"Family Christmas vacation?" the brunette soon asked with a knowingly sly grin on her face._

_Arizona and Timothy both looked toward the interruption, identical mouths falling agape as they ogled their bartender from the top of her head to the form fitting khaki shorts that covered her curvaceous hips._

_"I. . .umm. . .yes. Christmas vacation," Arizona stammered, subconsciously licking her lips, her eyes landing on the exposed cleavage lying beneath the unbuttoned Torres Divi Divi Resort and Hotel polo the brunette wore._

_"Last hoorah before I head off to the Marines," Timothy further explained._

_Callie only nodded, the intoxicating smile never leaving her face as she flipped over two glasses to fill with whatever her newest patron's fancied. "What can I get you?" she asked, glancing down at the purple bracelet both wore to assure that they were of legal drinking age._

_"Umm. . .Aruba Ariba," Arizona stated, dragging her eyes from the drink list to land smack dab on the bartender's breasts._

_"Sex on the Beach," Timothy requested, suggestively wagging his eyebrows up and down._

_With a nod of her head and a roll of her eyes, the brunette went about her work, the sound of a blender filling the island air as she expertly mixed one drink while skillfully pouring the other at the same time. "Here you go," she then offered, topping each drink with a slice of orange with a flourish._

_"Thank you. . .Callie," Arizona stated with a dimpled grin, craning her neck to read the name tag pinned to the brunette's chest._

_Tossing a bar towel over her shoulder, Callie only offered Arizona a smile before moving down the bar to assist her other customers though, as she worked, she couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation shared by the two blondes, her moving on their own accord to glance back toward the pair._

_"Hey, Callie!" Tim called out a few minutes later, his arm waving her over from the opposite end of the bar._

_Turning at the sound of Timothy's voice, Callie wiped her hands on her towel as she made her way back in his direction. "Another Sex on the Beach?" she asked, immediately reaching for a new glass and filling it with ice._

_"You offering?" he coyly asked._

_"Negative," Callie quickly replied with a polite smile, but a slight roll of her eyes._

_Appearing hurt, Timothy sat back in his seat. "Really?" he asked, completely aghast. "You wouldn't be willing to do your civic duty for a guy who's potentially about to go off to war?"_

_Narrowing her eyes and biting her bottom lip, Callie smiled as she shook her head. "If I was willing to do my civic duty for every American soldier who approaches me at this bar, I wouldn't be able to walk."_

_A loud snort of laughter fell from Arizona's lips as she watched her brother completely get burned. "You're such a schmuck," she joked, the palm of her hand smacking at the back of a high and tight hair cut before pushing on his shoulder. "You have no game," she continued with a shake of her head._

_"I have game," Timothy quickly argued, shoving Arizona away from him._

_"No. You really don't," Arizona argued, sipping from her straw as mischievous azure eyes once again voraciously lingered over Callie's body._

_"I do, too," Tim petulantly defended._

_"Unfortunately, your sister is right," Callie stated, pouring vodka and peach schnapps into a glass. "Your game could use some work," she offered, adding cranberry and orange juice to the mix before setting it in front of the dejected soldier._

_Pulled from their juvenile argument at the sound of the mirth in Callie's voice, the blonde haired duo looked over the bar at Callie who stood smiling with a twinkle in her magical brown eyes._

_"Why must you wound me so?" Timothy asked, holding his hand over his clearly wounded heart._

_Callie only laughed, moving back toward the blender._

_"You were just kidding, right?" Timothy asked, completely shocked by the brunette's rejection._

_Callie smiled, continuing her work. "Nope," she insisted with a sly wink._

_"See, Tim? I've always told you that your game is lame," Arizona teased, nibbling at a bite of her orange slice._

_"Oh, shut up. I have more game than you'll ever have," Timothy stated with a very un-masculine roll of his eyes._

_"Not a chance," Arizona retorted with a shake of her head._

_"Wanna bet?" he childishly continued._

_"Bet?"_

_Tim nodded at his sister, taking a long drink from his glass. "Hey, Callie!" he called across the bar. "What's the best place to hang out around here?"_

_Wiping at the bar top with her towel, Callie seemed to consider the question. "I'm usually working - here - but when I have a night off, I like to go to this place called Gusto."_

_"You working tonight?" Arizona asked before Timothy had the chance._

_Callie quickly looked up, meeting the sultry blue eyes that stared back at her and, feeling the initial stirring of arousal rising within her body as she continued to gaze into the smaller woman's eyes, Callie swallowed hard at the warmth she felt not only rising in her cheeks, but moving downward toward her center. "I, umm. . .no. Actually, I'm off tonight."_

_"What time do you get off?" Arizona coyly asked._

_Callie cleared her throat, shaking her head in an attempt to clear it of the vision that popped into it of sensually dancing the night away with the gorgeous blonde woman seated before her._

_What was it about this Arizona that had her mind residing directly in the gutter?_

_"I. . .I get off at seven. Work that is. I'm finished with work. . .at seven," she stammered, her cheeks blushing bright red._

_Arizona and Tim both smirked at the brunette's nervous expression, though Arizona found the pink tint to already deep caramel skin to be the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen._

_"Meet us at Gusto at nine?" Arizona asked._

_Callie immediately shook her head; her boss - her father - had rules about her and any of his staff canoodling with their patrons. "No, uh. . .I. . .my dad. . .I-I'm. . . .no. I'm sorry. I'm not sure I can tonight."_

_Tim and Arizona both raised their eyebrows at Callie's stammered speech and, glancing toward his sister, he smirked as he watched her blue eyes once again land on Callie's breasts. "Oh, come on," he urged, completely uncaring that he was totally going to lose the bet he was formulating with his sister._

_Callie worried her bottom lip between her teeth, her own eyes moving down Arizona's neck over her bare shoulders to land on pink tank top covered breasts. "Ten!" she quickly spoke up out of nowhere, her eyes going wide when she realized the utterance of the number meant she'd just agreed to meet the brother and sister later that night. "I. . .umm. . .I'll meet you at ten."_

* * *

><p><em>Eight days later, Callie stood behind the bar in her usual spot at eleven in the morning. The past eight days had been the very best eight days of her entire life, and that had nothing to do with the fact that she had celebrated Christmas with her family only one day before.<em>

_No, Callie's spirit hadn't been lifted by Season's Greetings or Good Tidings but, instead, by the beautiful blonde woman who was currently walking her way._

_"Good morning, stranger," Arizona said, hopping up onto the stool that had become her own over the past week. "I missed you, yesterday."_

_Callie smiled and, surreptitiously looking around to assure no one gawking at her, she leaned over the bar top to press a lingering kiss against perfect pink lips. "Mmm," she moaned against the other woman's mouth. "I missed you, too."_

_Holding onto the sides of Callie's face as their lips continued to intimately dance against each other, Arizona didn't want to ever let go. She wanted to stay like this forever - for the rest of her life - in the warm embrace of this gorgeous brunette she had met only eight days before._

_They had been inseparable from the very first night. She had easily won the bet with Timothy; it was more than obvious, by the time she and her brother had left the hotel cabana bar to get ready for their night out, that Callie was definitely interested in Arizona and certainly not her male counterpart._

_From that night on, she and Callie had spent every possible moment together; except for yesterday - Christmas Day._

_And now, she wanted - needed - to soak up as much of this woman as she possibly could because in just a couple short hours, she was going to have to let her go. Her plane back to Seattle was leaving in less than four hours and, unfortunately, she had come to the bar this morning to say goodbye._

_Finally pulling back from the other woman, Callie slowly opened her eyes, a sad smile tugging at her lips as her gaze lingered on Arizona's face; she wanted to memorize every last inch of the beautiful vision that had - in a mere eight days - complete changed her life. "I bought you a present," Callie softly whispered, reaching beneath the bar to offer a beautifully wrapped box from where it rested below._

_"Callie. . ." Arizona began, completely shocked by the other woman's gesture._

_Callie shook her head, gently placing her offering on the bar top. "It's nothing huge," she began to explain. "It's just. . .I like you, Arizona. Like. . .really, really like you, and I know we said we would keep in touch after you left, but I. . ." she trailed off, her cheeks blushing at the words she was about to say. "Do you think we could stay in touch. . .as more than just friends? I mean. . .do you think we could do it? A long distance relationship, I mean?"_

_Arizona searched Callie's face; she was always amazed at just how much emotion was always present in those magical brown eyes. "I. . .I just. . .I generally don't believe in long distance relationships, Calliope. . ."_

_Callie's face instantly fell, her arms crossing over her chest to close herself off._

_Immediately sensing Callie's withdrawal, Arizona cleared her throat, her fingers fidgeting with the glittery gold bow atop the small square package. "I said generally, Callie," she stated, watching as the other woman's form slowly began to lose some of the rigidity her previous statement had caused. "But, with you. . .things are different. With you, I think I could probably make an exception."_

_The megawatt smile that quickly consumed Callie's face was brighter than any of the Christmas lights on any of the trees in all of Aruba. "Really? You. . .you think I'm. . .worth it? Probably?" she stammered, her heart pounding in her chest._

_Arizona gave a slight nod. "More than probably, Calliope," she honestly admitted, her own heart beginning to beat the cadence on a bass drum. "You. . .you are worth everything, Calliope," she softly stated, her eyes anxiously flicking up from the package to impatiently request Callie's permission to open it._

_Callie gave a slight nod, her smile never faltering as she watched her girlfriend? dive into the present, long fingers slightly darkened by her days in the sun ripping at the tape, which covered meticulously creased folds, like an exuberant child who had never before received a gift in her entire life. It took mere seconds for the paper to be removed and, once Arizona opened the box, she softly gasped at what she found inside, curious blue eyes blinking upward to meet Callie's gaze._

_Callie stared at the other woman for several long moments but, finally realizing she most likely needed to explain, she took the box from Arizona's hand, slightly trembling fingers removing what lay inside. "It's, uhh. . .it's a watch," she nervously began, immediately shaking her head and rolling her eyes at the glaring obviousness of her statement._

_Nodding her head, hoping Callie would continue with her explanation, Arizona took the beautiful timepiece from the other woman's hand, quietly admiring the luminous pearlescent dial shining under faceted Austrian crystals._

_"By tradition, anything that goes next to the skin is considered an. . .intimate gift - jewelry, watches, perfume. . ." Callie nervously continued, anxiously watching as Arizona appraised the watch. "And I want that with you, Arizona. I want our relationship to be more than casual. I want it to be strong. I want us to have a deeper commitment, and that's what I want this watch to represent. It, uhh. . .it has dual clocks for different time zones so that you'll always know - whatever time it is in Seattle - someone three hours in the future is always thinking of you and is totally committed to you."_

_Arizona found herself completely shocked by Callie's words and the sentiment behind the giving of such a gift and, as she locked the clasp around her wrist, she knew she would never forget this very first Christmas spent with Callie, and she silently vowed - from that day forward - she would wear that gorgeous timepiece every day for the rest of her life._


	2. Chapter 2

**Title**: Four Christmases: Let All Your Memories Hold You Close

**Author**: HandsThatHeal

**Pairing**: Callie/Arizona

**Rating**: M/NC-17

**Summary**: In this AU Christmas story, Callie Torres fondly thinks back on the four Christmases she has spent with the love of her life, Arizona Robbins. Written as a Secret Santa Fic for l**ovestryam** on LiveJournal.

**Disclaimer**: All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

**AN: **In this story, italics denote past Christmas Seasons.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter Two<em>**

_**Second Christmas**_

* * *

><p><em>Trudging through the streets of Seattle on her way home from another long night at the law office she'd been working at for the past year, Arizona glanced down at the watch on her left wrist, sighing as she noted the time. <em>

_10:23pm - Christmas Eve._

_Shaking her head as she rounded the corner leading onto her street, she once again sighed. Was this really what her life had become? Late nights at work with minimal friends and no social life but, more importantly - more discomforting - than that, no one to come home to? No one there waiting for her on these late nights? Sure, Callie was always waiting for her to call or text but, unfortunately, Callie was nearly four thousand miles away._

_Arizona would be lying if she said the distance wasn't taking its toll. It was apparent - a year later - that she had been so very naive by thinking they could survive a long distance relationship but, the truth was, she desperately missed the other woman. They had only seen each other three times since their goodbyes on that fateful day at the cabana bar and, while Arizona loved the other woman more than she ever thought it possible to love another human being, she was beginning to feel like it just might be time to let it go. _

_Time to let Callie go._

_Shaking her head at the thought, Arizona sniffled as the onset of tears began to sting at her eyes. This was so unfair. She loved Callie so much, but how could she be expected to continue a relationship with someone she never go to see? How could they nurture and build a committed relationship when they were only in the other's presence a few times a year? _

_Making her was down the sidewalk, coming closer and closer to her apartment building with each weary step, Arizona resolutely wiped at her eyes, her mind made up. She just couldn't do this any longer. She needed - craved - the love and attention of someone who could be there. Someone who she could enjoy her life with; someone she could fall asleep next to every night and wake up curled up against every morning._

_A light snow began to fall as she reached the long awning leading to the entrance of her apartment building and, searching for her keys, her attention was solely focused into the depths of the oversized bag hanging over her left shoulder._

_And then, out of nowhere, there were lips attacking her own - intoxicatingly familiar lips that she hadn't had the privilege of kissing in over four months. Plump lips she had lost herself in way too few times but, at the same time, the lips she knew - no matter what her brain had been telling her just mere seconds before - she wanted to be able to kiss every day for the rest of her life. _

_But. . .she still lived in Seattle, and Callie still worked in Aruba. This was never going to work, no matter how desperately she wanted it to._

_Pulling away, Arizona allowed herself to linger, her nose nuzzling against the smooth cheek of the other woman. "What are you doing here?" she softly asked, her heart thundering against her chest. _

_Callie rested her forehead against that of the other woman, her hands still fisted in the lapels of Arizona's camel colored pea coat. "I had to see you," she hoarsely whispered, finally pulling away only far enough to be able to appraise the rest of her girlfriend's form. "You're stunning."_

_Arizona appeared sheepish, not just at Callie's comment and lecherous stare, but mostly because, unbeknownst to Callie, she knew she was about to break the other woman's heart, along with her own. She was going to have to be the one to put an end to their relationship. It was for their own good. It was the right thing to do._

_"Do you want to come inside?" Arizona asked, nervously stepping back from the other woman and looking anywhere but at her gorgeous face._

_Callie's brow furrowed in confusion at not only the question, but at Arizona's strange behavior, as well. "Well. . .I was hoping to. I mean, if that's okay," she apprehensively stated, completely second guessing her plan to surprise her girlfriend for Christmas. "I'm sorry. Are you busy? You probably have work. I should have called," she stammered, mentally berating herself for just assuming Arizona would be available without warning. " I mean, it's no problem. I'll just go to a hotel. Maybe we can catch up tomorrow or. . .something."_

_Arizona shook her head; it never ceased to amaze her how quickly this usually confident woman could morph into a complete rambling mess. "No, no. It's okay. Come in."_

_Arizona then turned on her heel, heading toward the elevator without looking back to see if Callie had followed. _

_Perplexed by her girlfriend's sudden change in attitude, Callie grabbed her suitcase by the handle and, wheeling it behind her, she silently followed Arizona through the elevator door. _

_Both women remained silent as they exited the lift, Callie's lip now firmly held between her teeth as she tried to discern what exactly Arizona's silence meant. This behavior was making her more than a little nervous; she'd never seen her girlfriend like this, never heard her voice sounds so uncertain and so foreboding. _

_"Umm. . .is everything okay? Did I do something?" Callie finally asked, gently shutting the door behind her as she watched Arizona remove her coat and unwrap the scarf from around her neck. _

_Arizona sighed; she thought she was doing a much better job of hiding the conflict she was currently feeling and, shaking her head, she looked down at the floor, completely unable to hold Callie's gaze. "I. . .uh. . .I can't do this anymore, Calliope. The distance. . .it's just too much, and I. . ."_

_"You're breaking up with me?" Callie softly asked, the shock she was feeling obvious in the widening of her eyes and the nervous wringing of her hands._

_Arizona began to pace the room, exasperation filling her body and seeping from her every pore. "I don't know what else to do, Calliope. I. . .I just need more. More than this. More than what you and I have together," she admitted, her voice rising in volume and pitch. "I need someone who can be here. Someone I can share my life with. Someone I know has the same vision of a future that I do. Not someone I'm only able to talk to on the phone and see three times a year. I just - I need more. This. . .it's just not working," Arizona yelled, her tearful blue eyes finally glancing in her girlfriend's direction to meet desolate chocolate brown. "I-I'm sorry. I. . ."_

_Shaking her head, Callie held up her hand to prevent any further devastation from falling from Arizona's beautiful mouth. "Here," she brusquely retorted, angrily tossing a beautifully wrapped package in Arizona's direction. "Merry Christmas."_

_And with that, Callie turned on her heel, grabbed her suitcase, and quickly disappeared out Arizona's front door._

* * *

><p><em>An hour later, Arizona lay on her couch, tears streaming down her face as she nervously fidgeted with the package Callie had tossed at her before rushing out her door. This wasn't at all how she was supposed to feel right now; she had ended her relationship with Callie for their own good but, if breaking up with Callie was the right thing to do, why did she feel so very, very bad? <em>

_Rolling onto her side, she pulled a pillow closer to body and hugging it against her chest, she continued to stare at the expertly wrapped box that was quite similar in size and shape to the box containing the watch Callie had given her for Christmas just one year before. _

_Glancing to her left wrist, she admired the silver timepiece that had encircled her wrist every single day for the past three hundred sixty-five and, with a sigh, she pulled herself up into sitting, her fingers instantly working to unhook the clasp to remove the watch from her arm. Tossing it onto the coffee table in front of her, she rolled her eyes at her own curiosity, immediately working to remove the wrapping from the small package. _

_With the paper removed, Arizona slowly removed the lid, her brow furrowing when she saw what lay inside._

_Pulling out a business card for the Grand Torres Hotel - Seattle, Arizona found herself even more confused by what she saw printed in highly professional font on the bright white piece of cardstock._

_Calliope I. Torres_

_Executive Vice President,_

_Development and Commercial Services_

_Flipping the card over in her hand several times, she then looked back down into the small box, this time pulling out a key card for room 2502 of the hotel and with her heart pounding in her chest at what this all could possibly mean, she quickly grabbed her watch, snapping it back onto her wrist before jumping up from the sofa, grabbing her coat and bag before briskly rushing out the door._

* * *

><p><em>Callie hadn't stopped crying since she had stepped into the hallway outside Arizona's apartment and, now, lying curled in a ball in the middle of her hotel suite's king size bed, she held an overstuffed pillow against her body, her sobs wetting the starched white pillow case with each tear that fell. <em>

_She couldn't believe this was happening; she had worked her butt off for the past year proving time and time again to her father and the other hotel board members that she was more than ready to fulfill the position she had been groomed for since the age of ten, what she had gone to college for and graduated with honors. She loved her job at the bar, but it certainly was time to move on; it was time for her father to give her a chance to prove that she was ready to be what he had always wanted her to be._

_So, when she'd gotten word of possible expansion of the Grand Torres Hotel in Seattle, she'd jumped - no, leapt - at the chance to prove to her father that she was ready, not to mention, she desperately missed Arizona, and Seattle was exactly where she needed to be. _

_Callie had considered, on more than one occasion, just dropping everything and moving to Seattle to be with her girlfriend, but that wasn't her. She needed to be more responsible - to have a game plan and a job - and so, she'd developed a very convincing business development plan for the hotel which had completely blown away her father and the rest of the board._

_So, here she was with a job, a place to live, and a plan all in place but, after the events of the past hour, she had no girlfriend to share that with. _

_That thought only made Callie cry harder; she never in a million years expected Arizona would break up with her and, as she cried, she was completely oblivious to the other person who now stood in the elegant bedroom of the luxury suite. _

_It was only when she felt the mattress dip beneath her that she realized she wasn't alone, the familiar scent of Arizona's perfume and shampoo invading her senses as the other woman moved in close, tightly holding her from behind. _

_Callie wanted to resist; she wanted to push Arizona away, to make her hurt just as badly as she was hurting but, now cocooned in the warmth of the other woman's embrace, she simply could not resist rolling over, her face now buried in Arizona's chest as she continued to cry._

_Arizona only held Callie more tightly, one hand smoothing wavy brunette hair back from where is lay matted with tears against a beautiful caramel face. "I'm sorry, Calliope. So sorry," she tried to soothe, hoping beyond hope that it was a good sign that Callie had not yet pushed her away._

_Sniffling and trying to pull herself together, Callie brusquely wiped at her face, her eyes finally opening to meet the moist blue ones staring right back at her from where Arizona's head lay on the same pillow her own cheek rested against. _

_"Is it true, Calliope?" Arizona softly asked, her voice hoarse with emotion. "You're here? Like really here?"_

_With another sniffle, Callie gave a slight nod but, before she could utter even one word, Arizona's mouth was immediately against her own in a bruising kiss, an intimate tryst of needy lips and wanton tongues. _

_Callie moaned into the recesses of Arizona's mouth, shocked by the ferocity of her girlfriend' kiss. God, Callie loved this woman and, though she wanted to be angry at her for breaking her heart into a gazillion tiny pieces just over an hour before, she found herself completely unable to fault her. Because, Arizona was right. The distance did suck. Royally. _

_"I love you so much, Calliope Torres," Arizona whispered against Callie's lips when they finally drew apart for air. "I'm so sorry for. . .before. Will you ever be able to forgive me?"_

_Callie gazed into the twinkling cerulean eyes she'd dreamed of every night since she'd first laid her own eyes on them just one year ago and, finding nothing but honesty and remorse within their gorgeous depths, she gave a slight shrug. "Maybe."_

_"Maybe?" Arizona asked, her face falling._

_Callie gave a slight nod. "Yeah. See, I just moved thousands of miles from my home to start a new job and to be closer to my girlfriend. My schedule's kind of insane right now, so I'll have to get back to you."_

_Seeing the hint of mischief in Callie's eyes and watching as a megawatt smile slowly spread across her face, Arizona felt her body relax at the knowledge that Callie was just teasing. "Merry Christmas, Calliope. You are the very best present I ever could have received."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Title**: Four Christmases: Let All Your Memories Hold You Close

**Author**: HandsThatHeal

**Pairing**: Callie/Arizona

**Rating**: M/NC-17

**Summary**: In this AU Christmas story, Callie Torres fondly thinks back on the four Christmases she has spent with the love of her life, Arizona Robbins. Written as a Secret Santa Fic for **lovestryam** on LiveJournal.

**Disclaimer**: All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

**AN: **In this story, italics denote past Christmas Seasons.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Three<strong>_

_**Third Christmas**_

* * *

><p><em>"Callie?" Arizona called into the oceanfront suite she and her girlfriend would be sharing for the next week. Greeted with nothing more than silence and the sound of the Caribbean through the open doors leading onto the private lanai, her face scrunched as she pondered where the other woman could be. "Calliope?"<em>

_Still receiving no response, Arizona placed her hands on her hips before making her way further into the suite. Stepping into the bedroom, she inhaled a deep breath before exhaling in exasperation, clearing her throat in an attempt to get her girlfriend's attention. "We said no work this week, Callie," she practically whined, her stance astringent. "We're on Christmas vacation."_

_Continuing to type on the tablet that was positioned atop her thighs as she sat against the headboard of their bed, Callie guiltily worried her bottom lip between her teeth, a sexy smile then covering her face. "Just a couple. More. Words," she emphasized with loud pecks against the keys. "Just. A. Few. More. And. . .I'm finished," she stated with a megawatt smile, tossing her tablet to the side with a flourish._

_Arizona tipped her head to the side, her eyes narrowing with lust and need as she watched Callie stalk toward her, the brunette crawling down the length of the mattress before straightening up to meet her girlfriend face to face._

_"No more work," Callie husked into Arizona's ear, causing a shiver of electricity to course down the length of the blonde's spine. "I promise," she honestly stated before pulling Arizona into a hard kiss._

_Allowing her hands to fall to her sides from where they sternly rested on her hips, Arizona moaned and then sighed into Callie's mouth, her arms then moving to loosely wrap around her girlfriend's neck. _

_With their passion quickly escalating, Callie's hands ran down the sides of Arizona's taut abdomen, questing fingers playing at the hem of her tank top. Grasping the material into two tight fists, Callie quickly moved to divest her girlfriend of the garment but, before she could pull the shirt up over a blonde head, she felt two smaller hands adamantly wrapping themselves around her wrists. _

_"Wait," Arizona whispered, through the darkening hue of her eyes completely betrayed her words. "Please. Not yet."_

_Concerned by Arizona's highly unusual request, Callie slowly removed her hands from the other woman's body, nearly obsidian eyes dark with lust as they raked over Arizona's face. "What's the matter, sweetie?" Callie asked, her tone sincere._

_Arizona nibbled at her bottom lip, a sure sign she was nervous or anxious about something. But, the word that came out of her mouth didn't match her demeanor in any way, shape, or form. "Nothing," she answered before backing away from the intoxicating woman kneeling on the mattress before her. "Nothing's the matter, Calliope. I just. . .I have plans for us. In just a little while," she explained, glancing down at the watch Callie had given her for Christmas two years prior. "And, if I let you keep kissing me like that, you and I both know we'll be naked within minutes, and then we'll never make it in time for. . .the thing I have planned."_

_Smirking at the adorableness that was Arizona Robbins, Callie suspiciously narrowed her eyes. "What exactly do you have planned?" she asked, very aware that Arizona was a terrible liar and an even worse secret keeper._

_Backing even further away, as if the distance alone could keep her from spilling the beans, Arizona jumped slightly when her back collided with the door. "I'm not telling you, Calliope. It's a secret," she offered with a dimpled grin as she stepped to the side, once again backing further and further away from her girlfriend. "I'll see you in a little while, okay? Meet me at the bar at six."_

_And with that, Arizona swiftly moved the rest of the way out of their suite, leaving a confused and highly curious Calliope Torres alone in her wake._

* * *

><p><em>At exactly 5:59pm, Callie emerged from the hotel room, her head tilted to the side as she fiddled with the back of her earring. <em>

_She hadn't seen Arizona since two hours before when she had hastily made her exit from the room and, while she was curious as to what this secret of Arizona's might entail, she was also more than a little concerned. _

_Arizona had been acting strangely for the past two weeks and, while Callie knew she was busy at work, trying to get things in order so they could enjoy their Christmas Holiday in Aruba, she couldn't help but wonder if there was something more. She had barely seen Arizona at all in those two weeks, and she couldn't help her feelings of dread and worry that the blonde was somehow - for some reason - pulling away._

_Callie shook her head, mentally scolding herself for her own discordant thoughts. Of course Arizona wasn't pulling away from her. There was no way she would have made all the arrangements for them to spend Christmas together in Aruba if that were the case._

_"God, Callie. You're so dumb," she muttered to herself as she meandered down the path leading to a very familiar destination and, breathing in the scent of the air around her, her lungs filled with the refreshing aroma of the Tropical Azalea and Jungle Geraniums that lined the path._

_With the cabana bar she used to work at now in her line of vision, she paused when she noticed that there was not one person seated at any of the high stools surrounding the bar top. That certainly was an odd site to see, especially at 6:00 in the evening and, with her face scrunching in question, she slowly continued forward to find out what exactly was going on. _

_As she made her way closer to her destination, she soon noticed that the entire circumference of the circular bar top was lined with candles, each and every flame flickering with the turbulence of the warm ocean breeze. It was a gorgeous site to behold with the marvelous panoramic view of the Caribbean behind it, the opalescent sky beginning to streak with flecks of pink, orange, and purple as the sun began to set. _

_Callie couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips at the perfectly romantic atmosphere, but she stopped dead in her tracks when Arizona appeared from behind the bar, her shoulder length blonde hair lying in gentle curls and swept up on one side with a perfect pink and yellow Plumeria tucked behind her ear._

_Allowing herself a few more moments to take in the form of her girlfriend, Callie's eyes raked down the other woman's body to admire the printed halter dress she was wearing. _

_"Calliope?" Arizona called, slightly amused by her girlfriend's unabashed stare. _

_Shaking herself from her own musings at the sound of Arizona's voice, Callie slowly forced herself forward, finally coming to stand directing in front of her girlfriend. "What's all this?" she softly asked, reaching out to reverently run her index finger over the beads at the neck of Arizona's dress. _

_Arizona swallowed hard at the sight of her girlfriend; she swore she'd never seen Callie look quite as stunning as she did at that very moment. Taking her own moment to stare, Arizona's first thought was to completely abandon ship - to take Callie back to their room where she could tear the purple, slit front maxi dress from her body in order to do terribly naughty things to her - but, taking a step closer, she placed her hands on Callie's hips, brown eyes meeting bright blue. _

_"I'm glad you found the place," Arizona nervously teased, losing herself in the intoxicating scent of Callie's perfume. _

_Callie gave a slight chuckle as she gently pushed a stray lock of blonde hair behind Arizona's shoulder. "I think I've been here a time or two," she coyly replied. _

_With a nearly imperceptible nod, Arizona removed her hands from Callie's hips, taking her girlfriend's hand into her own as she led the taller woman to sit on the exact stool Arizona had claimed on the day they'd met each other exactly two years before. _

_Once she had Callie exactly where she wanted, her Arizona picked up a clustered bouquet of Plumeria that perfectly matched the one in her hair, and handing them to her girlfriend, she smiled as she spoke. "This is for you."_

_Callie's lips tugged into a crooked grin that quickly turned into her signature megawatt smile as she accepted the proffered flowers, their pedals more stunningly perfect than that of any other flowers she'd ever seen. _

_Dipping her nose into the top of the bouquet for a quick sniff, she quickly pulled back from it when the sensation of cool medal rubbed against the tip of her nose. Glancing down into the largest flower in the bunch, shocked brown eyes quickly flicked back up to a clearly nervous Arizona, the blonde's bottom lip now anxiously held between her teeth._

_Clearing her throat in an attempt to compose her raging nerves, Arizona then took the bouquet from now trembling caramel hands, deft alabaster fingers dipping into the Plumeria to produce the most stunning diamond engagement ring Callie had ever seen._

_"Arizona. . ." Callie gasped, tears instantly brimming in magical brown eyes. _

_Holding up her palm to halt her girlfriend's speech, Arizona continued to hold the ring for Callie's inspection as she gathered her thoughts in order to make coherent words. "Calliope. . .I love you with my whole heart," she honestly began, cerulean eyes now welling with tears of their own as she set the bouquet of flowers to the side. "You've done so much - given up so much - for me, Callie, and I. . ."_

_"I haven't given up anything, Arizona."_

_Shaking her head, Arizona narrowed her eyes in warning. "I'm trying to do a thing here, Calliope, and if you love me at all, you'll shut the hell up," she commented, her eyes growing wide when she realized the stringency of her own words. "Please," she then sheepishly added as a complete afterthought._

_Callie found herself shocked by Arizona's blatantly candid words but, biting her bottom lip, she forced herself to remain quiet._

_Satisfied that Callie wasn't going to once again interrupt, Arizona cleared her throat in order to continue. "Two years ago, I met you in this very spot and, ever since then, you have been the very first thing I think of in the morning and the very last thing I think about at night. You are the most beautiful and caring person I've ever met, Calliope. You are strong and honorable and, in the two short years we've been together, you've already been there for me more times than I can even count."_

_"You keep me grounded, Calliope, but, at the same time, you make me feel free. I love and respect your fire, your devotion and faithfulness to the things you hold most dear, and you make me want to be better. You make me want to try harder to be that way myself," Arizona honestly admitted, a smirk lighting her face when she once again witnessed Callie begin to interrupt. _

_Deciding to take pity on the other woman whom she could tell had something she desperately needed to say, Arizona hurriedly continued. "A love like ours has never happened to me before, Calliope. I've never been in the presence of someone who just. . .gets me. Someone who understands and even nourishes my workaholic ways, someone who shares my dreams but, most importantly, someone who has made my dreams her own. And, those are just a few of the reasons I'm hoping you will agree to spend the rest of your life with me. I want to love you forever, Calliope. Will you grant me the honor of doing that? Will you marry me?"_

_A choked cry fell from Callie's lips, once again interrupting Arizona's heartfelt speech, but she absolutely could not hold it in for a moment more. Sniffing and wiping at her nose with the back of a shaking hand, a smile brighter than all the lights on all the Christmas trees in all the world soon lit Callie's face. "Yes, Arizona. Nothing would make me happier than to be your wife."_

_With a loud shriek of excitement and relief, Arizona quickly slid the engagement ring onto Callie's left hand before engulfing the taller woman into a tight embrace, plump lips quickly being consumed by ecstatic pink ones. _

_And with the sun setting behind them, the two lovers finally pulled away from the romantic meeting of their lips, brown eyes shining only for the blue ones staring back into them. _

_"Best. Christmas. Ever."_


	4. Chapter 4

**Title**: Four Christmases: Let All Your Memories Hold You Close

**Author**: HandsThatHeal

**Pairing**: Callie/Arizona

**Rating**: M/NC-17

**Summary**: In this AU Christmas story, Callie Torres fondly thinks back on the four Christmases she has spent with the love of her life, Arizona Robbins. Written as a Secret Santa Fic for** lovestryam** on LiveJournal.

**Disclaimer**: All television shows, books, movies, songs, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

**AN: **In this story, italics denote past Christmas Seasons.

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><p><em><strong>Chapter Four<strong>_

_**Present Time: Fourth Christmas**_

* * *

><p>With her neck arched and the back of her head digging into a plush pillow on the bed, Callie closed her eyes in an attempt to dam the overwhelming sensations building inside her. She couldn't believe the difference in the emotions she was currently experiencing; she had made love to this woman hundreds of times in the past three years but, with their wedding taking place just hours before on Christmas Eve, this was the very first time she was making love to Arizona as her <em>wife, <em>and that dichotomy was breathtakingly astounding.

"Look at me, Calliope."

Arizona's sultry words against her ear caused Callie to force her eyes back open, obsidian orbs as dark as night now hooded by heavy lids.

"I love you," Arizona murmured, darkened blue eyes now gazing down at her newlywed wife.

Callie couldn't speak, the exquisite pleasure Arizona was creating within her body allowing her only to exhale a guttural moan, the feeling of soft lips crushing against her own sending even greater rapturous delight through her form.

"You're on fire, Callie," Arizona husked, her breath hot against Callie's cheek as she exhaled. Arizona's tongue then thrust between Callie's lips to play against her tongue, her right hand abandoning its work between Callie's legs to further part her knees, a heated palm caressing from the inside of Callie's knee back up to the apex of her thighs.

Panting and gripping at any part of her wife she could lay purchase on, Callie desperately tried to hold the smaller woman against her heated body, causing Arizona to lose herself in Callie's touch, her own back now arching to press her breasts more firmly into Callie's own pebbled peaks.

"Arizona," Callie managed to gasp before the blonde bit at a plump lower lip, tugging at it, and sucking it into her mouth.

Moving down Callie's body, Arizona continued to tease, never once returning her hand to where Callie so desperately needed it to be and, moaning against caramel skin, her tongue went to work lapping at and circling a turgid left nipple.

With the sensation of Arizona's perfect mouth tightly wrapping itself around her wanton nipple, Callie could no longer take the incessant, albeit glorious, teasing and, wiggling beneath her wife, she managed to flip them over, immediately lifting her right leg so that she could straddle Arizona's hips.

At the sight and sound of Callie now forcing her slick center against her own, Arizona's vision went cloudy, her mouth completely dry and, licking at her own arid lips with a parched tongue, she arched her pelvis up to meet Callie's thrusts, unadulterated pleasure quickly building inside her and hurtling her toward that well-known moment of pulsing release she had only ever experienced so intensely with this woman - her brand new wife.

Forcing herself not to look away from Callie's penetrating gaze, Arizona let her legs fall further apart, her breath hitching when she felt her wife's hand slide between their bodies, two fingers finding their way into her tight depths as Callie continued to rock against her.

Now thrusting her aching core against the back of her own hand as she stimulated Arizona with two deft fingers, Callie's moans grew louder, echoing off the walls of their oceanfront honeymoon suite and mingling with Arizona's in a symphony of cursed encouragements and shouted expletives.

"God, Arizona. I-I love you. . .so much," Callie husked, beads of sweat dripping from her forehead to land against her wife's chest.

And with that sentiment combined with the overwhelming sensations of Callie completely having her way with her body, Arizona's back arched painfully with a scream of her wife's name, her body continuing to writhe against the woman above her, causing Callie's beautiful form to tense before it began to shudder and convulse with release.

Unable to hold herself upright a moment longer, Callie leaned forward, falling to Arizona's side, her hand slowing its movements until it stopped completely, her fingers remaining buried inside her wife's contracting depths.

"Oh, my God. That was just so. . .amazing," Callie spoke, her voice hoarse and her breathing labored as she gently pulled her hand free, her palm now caressing ivory thighs as she nuzzled her nose against Arizona's neck. She then kissed both of her wife's breasts before lightly kissing her on the lips and, propping herself up on the mattress with her head resting in her palm, she watched as Arizona's eyes slowly opened, her chest continuing to rapidly rise and fall as she attempted to fill her lungs with much needed air.

With her voice momentarily betraying her, Arizona could only smile up at her wife, her hand reaching to press against the side of a tanned face, the pad of her thumb stroking Callie's cheek. They silently stared at each other for several long moments, the enormity of what had just occurred filling their bodies and consuming their souls, a silent and profound message transpiring between them.

Finally finding the strength to move, Arizona mirrored her wife's position and, with a quick glance over Callie's shoulder, she noted the time to be just after midnight. "Merry Christmas, Calliope. Can you believe we're married?" she lovingly whispered, leaning in to capture her new wife's lips.

This kiss was softer than the ones they'd shared before, though it was no less passionate and, soon finding herself desperate for air, Callie pulled away, her face remaining close to that of her wife. "Merry Christmas, Arizona. This is a Christmas I'll never be able to forget."

* * *

><p>"Calliope?"<p>

The sound of Arizona's voice quickly drew Callie from her silent musings of the previous night and the three Christmases before and, straightening up in her lounge chair, she appeared sheepish as she watched Arizona dry herself with an oversized beach towel.

"Where did you go?" Arizona asked, plopping down into the chair next to her wife.

Looking out ahead of her at the crystalline waters of the Caribbean Ocean with the memories of their four Christmases spent together fresh in her mind, she reached out, entangling Arizona's fingers with her own. "I was just thinking," she vaguely supplied with a quick squeeze of a damp hand.

"About?"

Callie smiled, leaning across her chair to kiss her wife before standing from her own seat and moving to straddle Arizona where she sat. "Our Christmases together," she honestly stated, pushing aviator sunglasses up to rest atop a blonde head. "And I can't help but wonder what next Christmas will hold."

Pulling Callie's sunglasses from her nose, Arizona tossed them into the sand, two hands now resting at the sides of her wife's smiling face. "Hmm," she began, her own mind now racing back through the years and filling with joyous thoughts of the past four Christmases.

"What do you think?" Callie asked with a sexy smirk.

With a slight shrug, Arizona pecked at plump lips before she spoke. "I can't predict the future, Calliope. But, with you, Christmas just keeps getting better and better."

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><p><em><strong>The End<strong>_

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><p><strong>Fanfiction Prompt: <strong>fluffy and fun. It can be either canon or AU. Everything from first meeting to established couple would be fine, as well as any rating you feel comfortable with. I like family-centric fics so I don't mind them having kids together or from previous relationships.

**AN2: **I hope you enjoyed this story, and I wish all of you a joyous holiday season. Happy Holidays!


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